Wildcats Couldn’t Overcome First Half Deficit
The Wildcats’ basketball team attempted a furious comeback in the third quarter of a district game at Longview Tuesday night but found a big first half deficit too large to overcome. The Wildcats trailed 41-14 at halftime. They outscored the Lobos 28-8 in the third quarter but still trailed 49-42 after three quarters. Longview wrapped up the game, 72-60. The loss dropped the Wildcats to 2-4 in district play, the same record as Longview.
The Wildcats are 9-13 for the season. The Wildcats will play host to district leader Marshall Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Wildcats Gym. That game will mark the end of the first half of district play.
SSHS BPA Qualifies 13 for State Competition
The Sulphur Springs High School Business Professionals of America students attended a Regional Leadership Conference at Plano High School on January 16, 2016. Thirteen (13) students qualified for state, and seven (7) students and three (3) teams will be state alternates.
State Qualifiers
Sean Allemang placed first in Java Programing.
Mario Basio placed third in C++ Programming.
Lydia Burleson placed first in Advanced Word Processing.
Timothy Charlton placed first in PC Service & Troubleshooting.
Natalie Cruz placed second in both Human Resource Management and Economic Research Team with Sam Robinson.
Lilibeth Gallegos placed third in Database Applications.
Sofia Guerrero placed first in Legal Office Procedures.
Emily Johnson placed first in Administrative Support Research.
Dylan Joiner placed second in both Economic Research Individual and Presentation Management Team with Anne-Marie Winborn.
Carson McIllwain placed fourth in PC Service & Troubleshooting.
Sam Robinson placed second in Economic Research Team with Natalie Cruz.
Austin Reyes placed second in Advanced Accounting.
Anne-Marie Winborn placed second in Presentation Management Team with Dylan Joiner.
State Alternatives
Cindy Arellano placed fifth in Advanced Interview Skills.
Chase Crouch placed third in Presentation Management Individual.
Elijah Drum placed third in Graphic Design Promotion.
Mandy Eckhardt placed third in Economic Research Individual.
Juan Gudino placed third in Interview Skills.
Jaspyn Johnson placed third in Advanced Interview Skills.
Rodolfo Perez placed sixth in Banking & Finance.
State Alternate Teams
The Network Design Team will be an alternate with team members Sean Allemang, Maurio Basio, Timothy Charlton, and Austin Reyes.
The Presentation Team will be an alternate with team members Mandy Eckhardt, Emily Johnson, and Rodolfo Perez.
The Presentation Management Team will be an alternate with team members Felipe Alba and Dakota Soles.
Lady Cats Soccer Wins Paris Tournament
The Lady Cats’ soccer team won a Paris tournament this past weekend and did not surrender a single goal. The Lady Cats won a tense 1-0 match against North Lamar in the final game. Thursday the Lady Cats also topped North Lamar, 1-0. Earlier on Saturday, the Lady Cats edged by Paris, 1-0. Friday they had a easier time winning against Bonham, 4-0. Abbi Hale was goalkeeper in all four games for the Lady Cats. Saturday game winners were scored by Mileena Zirreta against Paris and Mckenna Kager against North Lamar in the final game. The Lady Cats now have an 8-1 season record.
Their only game this week is at North Lamar Friday night at 7 p.m. It’s the last match before district play begins next week.
ATF Investigators Seek Origin of Cause of Fire That Destroyed Toliver Ford
“No indication of any criminal act” has been found at this time as the ATF continues to process the scene at Brian Toliver Ford Lincoln, in the 1000 block of Gilmer Street in Sulphur Springs. John Morrison, ATF spokesperson, stated that the local fire department invited the ATF Response Team to conduct the investigation due to the resources available to the ATF through the Federal Government. He stated that most local entities do not have the vast resources available to ATF. ATF is conducting an origin of cause investigation locally.
In a press release, Morrison stated, “The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Response Team (NRT) along with Special Agents from the ATF Dallas Field Division, were activated Sunday at the request of the Sulphur Springs, Texas Fire Department to investigate a fire which occurred in the early morning hours of Friday, Jan. 15, at the Brian Toliver Ford Dealership located in the 1000 block of Gilmer Street in Sulphur Springs, Texas. The team of roughly two dozen agents and specialists arrived late Saturday, and will start the scene investigation today.
“ATF is investigating this fire jointly with the Sulphur Springs Fire Department. We will work together in partnership to determine the origin and cause of this fire,” said Jeff Boshek, ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division. The total loss of the car dealership is estimated by the investigators to be about $3 million. This is the eighth activation of the NRT in fiscal year 2016, and the 781st activation since the inception of the team in 1978.
“Other activations of the NRT in Texas include the church fires in Tyler and Temple in January and February 2010 as well as the West, Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion in 2013.
“The primary mission of the NRT is to concentrate ATF explosives and fire investigative resources and expertise on large scale incidents, or on more complex investigations due to the size, scope, or number of victims as a result of the incident. ATF’s NRT provides an immediate and sustained nationwide response capability, typically deploying within 24 hours of notification, with state-of-the-art equipment and the most qualified ATF personnel available.
“The NRT works in conjunction with other investigators to reconstruct the scene, identify the seat of the blast or origin of the fire, and determine the cause. In the case of bombings or arsons, NRT members gather evidence to support criminal prosecutions. A deployed team is generally broken down into two components: a group that processes the scene and an investigative-lead element. In the course of the overall investigation, both components coordinate daily to ensure investigative continuity.
“The NRT is composed of veteran special agents, including certified explosives specialists, certified fire investigators, forensic mapping specialists, accelerant and explosives detection canine teams, explosives enforcement officers, fire protection engineers, electrical engineers and forensic chemist.
“The NRT’s resources include a fleet of fully equipped response vehicles strategically located throughout the United States that allow the NRT to be self-contained for the forensic examination of explosives and fire scenes.
“In addition to investigating hundreds of large fire scenes, the NRT has also been activated to scenes such as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the Oklahoma City Murrah Federal Building bombing and the 9/11 Pentagon crash site, as well as explosions at explosives and ammunition manufacturing plants, legal fireworks factories and illegal explosive device manufacturing operations.
“ATF is the federal agency with jurisdiction for investigating fires and crimes of arson. More information on ATF can be found at www.atf.gov. or Follow ATF on Twitter @ATFHQ.”
Winnsboro Police Report a Busy Second Week of January
Five arrests, a minor accident, 157 calls for service, and issuing 35 citations and 36 warnings filled the seven day period from January 11 to January 17, 2016 for Winnsboro Police.
Thirty (30) year old Amanda Ruff of Sulphur Springs was arrested Monday, January 11th for possession of a controlled substance over 1 gram but under 4 grams.
Branden Webb, 26, 0f Winnsboro, was arrested Tuesday the 12th for burglary of a habitation and assault causing bodily injury.
Tommy Kerr, 24, of Dangerfield was arrested Tuesday on a Cass County warrant.
Arrested Wednesday the 13th for DWI and possession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram in a drug free zone, was Michael Light, 39.
Clinton Hillman, 29, was arrested on a Camp County warrant.
A minor two vehicle accident at the corner of FM 515 and Highway 37 resulted in no injuries reported.
County Man Arrested for Aggravated Assault with Deadly Weapon
Hopkins County Deputies responded to a call to a residence on County Road 4591 and found a male lying in the ditch. He had been stabbed. When officers arrived at the residence, a female stated that the suspect in the stabbing was inside the house. The back door on the house had been broken.
Gary Dale Hawkins, 54, stated that he and his stepson had gotten into an argument, began fighting and he stabbed his stepson. The stepson was transported to Hopkin County Memorial Hospital for medical treatment. Hawkins was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and transported to Hopkins County jail.
Justice of the Peace B. J. Teer set his bond at $50,000.
*Update* Brian Toliver Ford Relocation
Brian Toliver Ford before the 2016 Fire
Brian Toliver Ford Lincoln in Sulphur Springs is pressing forward. KSST News stopped by the temporary location for the dealership Monday morning to check on the progress. Jonathan Toliver told us that they plan on having the interim dealership open for business by the end of this week. Employees are hard at work transforming the old Gober-Merrell location into a working dealership. The interior of the building is receiving a face lift today as painters work to improve the appearance of the building. The lot at the location is full of new cars and those who are in the market for a vehicle will soon be able to come back to Brian Toliver Ford Lincoln for business. Customers are encouraged to visit their Quitman location until the move is complete.
A three alarm fire on Friday, January 15 at Brian Toliver Ford Lincoln, 1040 Gilmer Street destroyed the service department and did at least 80% damage to the showroom and office area. An investigation is ongoing to determine the cause.
Additional Charges Filed Against Sulphur Springs Man
Friday, Justice of the Peace B. J. Teer held a magistrates hearing for James Hunter Dixon, 20, who was entered into Hopkins County. A total of $925,000 in bond was imposed on Dixon based on an 8th Judicial District request.
Dixon was first arrested May 28th at the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department for aggravated sexual assault and continuous sexual assault of two girls under the age of ten. Additional charges for sexual assault of a child, male, were added in June. His bond at that time totaled $2.4 million
Sheriff’s Criminal Investigator Dennis Findley said the sheriff’s office was made aware of the first two cases on Tuesday, May 26th after an outcry by the two female victims made to their biological father. The male made his outcry this week to his stepfather.
All three children were interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center in Winnsboro where specially trained Child Protective Services employees conduct such interviews for the area.
Chief criminal Investigator Lewis Tatum told KSST news the incidents had been occurring over several months beginning sometime last year.
“Updated” Como Man Arrested For Retaliation
A 60-year-old Como, Texas man was arrested Sunday evening for Obstruction or Retaliation. Sheriff Deputy Sergeant Wade Sheets responded to a disturbance call at a County Road 3562 residence shortly after 7 pm Sunday. Upon arrival, the accused subject began to verbally threaten Sgt. Sheets. According to an arrest report, the man shouted “Don’t [expletive] with me” and that he would “Blow your [expletive] head off!” The man’s brother made an attempt to calm the suspect down. Sgt. Sheets arrested the man at 7:15 pm Sunday and transported him to the Hopkins County Jail.
Bond for Kenneth Ray Vaughn, 60, was set at $30,000 by Justice of the Peace Brad Cummings
